Sometimes in life we come across a sad situation that requires our immediate attention. That is especially true when it involves the happiness and well-being of a child. Nobody wants to see a child suffer in any kind of manner, so we try to do whatever we can to ensure that the children in our lives are happy and healthy. That’s exactly the case in this story. This preschool teacher saw that one of her students wasn’t doing okay in his home life, so she knew she had to do something to intervene. Something that some would say, made her a hero.When someone goes into the profession of teaching, they do it because they love it. They love the fact that they get the chance to help mold a child’s mind or to be someone the child could trust and depend on.
At 54-years-old, Nancy has spent quite a bit of time molding the bright minds of today’s future. And she absolutely adores each and every one of her children.
So, it’s no surprise that when one of her students wasn’t acting like his normal self, she knew she had to figure out why. Nancy sat down with 4-year-old Camden for a little chat.
Nancy never wanted to see any of her students in a rough situation, so she decided to take things into her own hands. Nancy knew she needed to call home to Camden’s dad.
It turned out that Camden’s dad, Darreld Petersen, wasn’t doing so well health wise. In fact, Darreld’s future looked pretty bleak.
He was diagnosed with renal kidney failure and his kidneys were working at only 20% of their capacity. If Darreld didn’t have a kidney transplant, he wouldn’t be able to live much longer.
Not only did she feel bad for Darreld, she was worried about how Camden would be affected. Nancy wanted to do something to help.
She wanted to know what it would take to donate one of her kidneys. He informed her that she would need to get tested to see if she was a match.
After some blood work, Nancy found out the news she had been waiting for. The news that would change everything.
Now all she had to do to prepare was fill out some paperwork! And tell Darreld the good news, of course!
Then she told Darreld that she would be donating one of her kidneys to him! “He gives Camden this hug from heaven, and Camden’s like, ‘Wow, dad is happy to see me,’ ” she said.
“It’s just amazing. There are people waiting every day for a kidney, for an organ in general. I wish there were more people like her. She’s giving me a second chance at life,” Darreld told ABC News.
“I was really excited about it. I was ecstatic. I don’t know what I would’ve done for closure if I wasn’t [a match],” she says.
Darreld and Nancy’s surgeries went perfectly, and they were allowed to go home after a week of recovery! It’s amazing what happens when someone commits selfless acts of kindness.
“She’s a part of my family for the rest of her life whether she likes it or not,” he said. “The Iowa City team is a part of my family. Everything’s just been amazing, and I hope everyone has the same experience I had.”
